1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical devices and, in particular, to a delivery system for an endoluminal prosthesis and method of deploying the endoluminal prosthesis.
2. Description of the Art
Endovascular repair of thoracic pathologies is an effective, noninvasive treatment option that has gained tremendous popularity over the last ten years. However, challenging anatomy, such as highly curved or tortuous anatomy often leads to a non-ideal device deployment where the endovascular graft does not fully conform to the inner curvature of the vasculature. When deploying a stent-graft having a substantially cylindrical shape in a curved aorta or other vessel, there is a danger that the proximal end of the stent-graft, which is the end disposed nearer the heart, will not lie flat against the walls of the vessel. In this case, blood can flow underneath the edge of the graft. This problem is particularly common on the inner side of the curve of the aortic arch and is commonly referred to as “birds beaking.” Generally the gap formed by “birds beaking” between the inner curve of the aortic wall and the proximal edge of the endovascular graft is in the range of 1-10 mm. Such gaps can and have led to device failures including: device migration, stent fatigue/fracture, endoleaks, etc. Accordingly, it has become apparent to the inventors that an improved system for delivering endoluminal prostheses, such as stent-grafts, is desirable.